


so this is christmas

by rudeandginger



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fluffity fluff, christmas shlock, i wrote this today, i'm just weird like that, lena just let kara in please, soft nonsense, there is no crisis, they're always going to belong to each other, we don't need that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:58:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21960901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudeandginger/pseuds/rudeandginger
Summary: Christmas comes to National City. With no snow, because it's a smash of San Diego and Los Angeles, and it doesn't snow in Los Angeles. Lena is alone, but Kara's trying to fix that.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 4
Kudos: 135





	so this is christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Crisis? What Crisis? Lena killed Lex for real.
> 
> Title and lyrics are from "Happy Xmas" by John Lennon and Plastic Ono Band.
> 
> I changed some of the lyrics. Which ones? The racist ones. Don't @ me, yes I know they're a product of their time. Doesn't make them any less racist.

//So this is Christmas  
And what have you done  
Another year over  
And a new one just begun//

Lena stood at her balcony windows, drink in hand. Once again, it was Christmas, and once again she was alone and working.

She didn't know any other way, honestly. The entire holiday season had been performative in the Luthor household for as long as she had been part of it. Presents under the tree were opened in front of Lionel and Lillian's friends and investors. Galas were thrown, charity events were attended. Lena was always given some sort of expensive dress to wear to these affairs, and as she got older, she would receive one for every event, because Luthors had to set the standard.

But actual Christmas day meant nothing at Luthor Manor. Beyond the Christian help receiving time off, that was. The Jewish and atheist help were given double pay to work that day in an attempt by Lionel to look good, and Lillian had kept it up after his death.

Lena sighed and sipped her whiskey. She had much to do, and thankfully, if she sent work-related emails, she probably wouldn't have to deal with any answers until the next day.

//And so this is Christmas  
I hope you have fun  
The near and the dear one  
The old and the young//

Kara was in Midvale with her sister and mother, opening presents and laughing, sipping her fourth mug of impossibly sweet hot chocolate.

But while part of her was with them, part of her was back in National City worrying about Lena. Kara knew Lena spent the holiday working, and even in years past when they were still close, she'd tried without success to invite Lena to this.

At least Alex was by herself too, Kara thought selfishly. Kelly had opted to head back to Calvintown to spend the holiday with James, and Alex had smiled and hugged her, not shedding even one tear.

"It's good that she's going there," she'd told Kara. "Christmas is for family."

-But what about the rest of our family?- Kara had thought. J'onn had declined the invitation, and Lena hadn't even answered. But Kara had thought she wouldn't, because she'd completely messed up their friendship and Lena had almost killed her with the cannons.

"I didn't know Lex had armed them like that," Lena had said frostily when Kara asked her. "I spent the entire time they were aimed at you trying to shut them down. Eve can tell you that much. She let me after I begged her not to kill you."

Kara had sighed and let her lie. She knew the whole Eve thing had been trickery, that Lena had indeed been the mastermind and not the pawn. But she knew that Lena was telling the truth about the kryptonite cannons, at the very least. She had that much.

"Kara? Earth to Kara," Alex said, jolting her out of her daydream. "Where are you?"

Kara blinked. "Right here, silly."

"Right here and not on a certain CEO's balcony?" Alex asked pointedly.

"Now, girls, let's not get into that this morning," Eliza said, her voice only slightly scolding. "You both have more presents to open."

Kara picked a small one up and looked at the tag. "Oh, this is for Lena."

Eliza nodded. "I thought she might come with you, so I bought her a few small things."

"A few?" Kara began to look through the gifts that were left. "How many?"

"Three," Eliza replied. "Good things come in threes."

Kara nodded slowly and pulled the other two cutely wrapped presents out of the small pile remaining. "I'll give them to her when we get back." She failed to keep the sadness out of her voice.

Alex leaned over and hugged her around the shoulders. "I'm sorry, Kara."

//A very Merry Christmas  
And a happy new year  
Let's hope it's a good one  
Without any fear//

Lena was surprised to say the least when Supergirl touched down on her balcony, things in bright wrapping paper in her hands.

"Hello, Kara," she said with as much neutrality in her voice as she could summon, opening the door. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Lena," Kara replied, walking in.

"What are those?" Lena asked, still pleasant, polite, and cold.

"Eliza sends gifts," Kara replied. "She thought you might come with me this year so she made sure you had things under the tree."

Lena quirked a brow. She had been ready to decline the presents and tell Kara to get her money back, but this was her adopted mother Eliza's doing. Her feud with Kara couldn't extend to the others beyond avoidance of them.

"And so I brought them here," Kara said. "You don't have to open them now. I just wanted to bring them."

Lena nodded slowly. "No, I'll open them. So you can go back to Eliza and tell her what I thought."

Kara nodded quickly. "Thank you."

Lena sat down on her couch, and Kara followed, putting the four presents on the table. Kara sat next to her, but not close enough to touch. -Good. Boundaries.-

Lena reached for the closest one, which also happened to be the smallest. It had holographic reindeer wrapping paper. "Seems a shame to ruin the wrapping." Lillian had always made her be absolutely careful, peeling up tape and not making any sort of mess.

"There's like three rolls of it at the house, I can totally get you one," Kara replied quickly. "Just tear it open!"

Lena scoffed silently. She ripped the paper purposefully.

It was a small box, the type jewelry usually came in.

Kara leaned in. "I don't have any idea what she got you."

Lena shrugged one shoulder. "Let's find out."

The earrings were pretty, crystal Christmas trees sparkling red and green. Lena smiled at them before setting the box down and taking her own, much more expensive, earrings out to switch them.

Kara gave her a soft smile. "Festive."

"Indeed. My official holiday concession, I suppose." Lena put the earrings on. She wouldn't have if Kara had bought them, but again, it was Eliza, a woman who had been nothing but cordial and friendly to her in their few interactions.

Kara held up her phone. "Picture? For Eliza."

Lena nodded, tucking her hair behind her ears before lifting her chin and giving a small, Mona Lisa smile.

Kara smiled back as she snapped a few. "Eliza's going to love this."

Lena picked up the next gift. It had the dimensions and feel of a book. The paper was different, glittery snowflakes on a pale blue background. "I'm going to have glitter in my house for months now."

"What's wrong with a little glitter?" Kara's voice was trembling. She was trying to tease but still so nervous.

Lena shrugged. "Nothing. I was just stating a fact." She pulled the paper off, and her eyes widened. "Oh my god!"

It was an out of print, very hard to find classic textbook on quantum theory and mechanics. Lena knew most of what it contained, yes, but there were chapters she had wanted to read simply to read the words of those who had gone before.

Kara smiled. "One of Eliza's professor friends was downsizing their textbook collection upon retirement. She saw this and thought of you."

Lena's mouth dropped open slightly. "Really?"

Kara nodded. "She even called me to ask. I said you probably knew everything in it, but she said it was out of print, so we took a chance that you didn't have it."

Lena surprised herself by hugging the book close. "I don't have it. Well, I didn't have it til a minute ago. And there are parts I've always wanted to read."

"Hold that pose?" Kara held up her phone again.

Lena gave a sheepish smile, still hugging the book to her chest.

Kara brought her phone down again and began tapping at it with her thumbs. "I've got to show her right away."

Lena's insides were roiling. She was trying very hard not to go down a cynical path, that Eliza had only gotten her gifts because she wanted Lena to reconcile with her daughter.

Kara looked up again. "For the record...she thinks you're just busy with work. She doesn't...know."

Lena's insides quaked. "Oh..."

"I just didn't want to...have that conversation. Not when I've talked about you so much that she figured I'd bring you home for Christmas."

Lena nodded slowly. "I see..."

Kara locked gazes with her. "I'm a coward. I told you that."

Lena stared into Kara's eyes and felt, for a moment, she could see the soul behind them. And she was shocked at the lost, sad entity she saw.

Kara broke the eye contact first. "Okay, here's the next one." She proffered a small package wrapped in green and red stripes with thin white glitter lines.

"Do you know what it is?" Lena asked.

Kara shook her head. "I only knew about the book."

Lena took the package and ripped the paper off quickly. It felt good to destroy it, not be perfectly careful the way she'd been forced to as a child. It felt right.

Inside the small box was a tree necklace to match the earrings.

"Oh, well, I'm glad I didn't send her the earring picture yet!"

Lena nodded as she took off the necklace she had been wearing and put on the tree. "It's cute."

The same Mona Lisa smile accompanied this photo. Lena didn't feel very festive or happy, but these were probably the only gifts she was getting. And she was honestly fine with that.

Kara handed her the last one, the red background setting up the bright ball ornaments on the paper. "This one is from me."

//And so this is Christmas  
For weak and for strong  
For rich and the poor ones  
The world is so wrong//

Lena almost dropped the present. "...why?"

"Because it's Christmas and you're...you're my best friend," Kara stammered. "Even if I'm not your best friend anymore, you're still mine. You're still the most amazing person I know, Lena."

Lena bit her lip and just regarded Kara, cursing the tears that were welling up.

"Please open it," Kara whispered. "Please."

Lena shook a little as she ripped off the paper, trying to keep her tears inside. She opened the box and gasped so sharply she made herself cough.

Her father's watch and cufflinks lay there.

//And so happy Christmas  
For wrong and for right  
For the weary and upset  
Let's stop all the fight//

"Lex had them when he was arrested," Kara whispered. "So they were with all of his things. I saw them with my x-ray vision when I went to find the journals."

Lena picked up the watch and turned it over. "Lionel Luthor" was engraved in a fine script. The cufflinks were diamond, with the initials LL visible at the base of the gems. "So you've had these for how long?"

"Two days," Kara replied. "Thankfully they hadn't been moved or anything."

"So you broke into a top-secret, high-security location twice for me." Lena was trying to process all of this.

"And I'll do it again," Kara said quickly. "As many times as you want me to, if you need something there."

Lena put the watch back into its box and closed it. "I could ask you to get weapon pieces."

Kara sighed. "But I'd do it, Lena. I really would."

"Why?"

"You're my best friend and I love you." Kara extended her hand, palm up. "I don't know how I can stop hurting, but if you let me try, I might be able to stop you from hurting."

"We can never go back to what we were," Lena said sharply.

"Can we try something new then?" Kara's hand was still out. "Could we start over with no secrets?"

Lena blinked. "...start over?"

Kara nodded.

Lena stared down at Kara's outstretched hand for a moment.

"Hi," Kara said finally. "I'm Kara Zor-El Danvers. I'm a reporter at CatCo Worldwide Media. I'm also the local goody two-shoes, Supergirl."

Lena blinked again, but she put her hand on top of Kara's. She was unsurprised when Kara turned it into a shake. "Hi, Kara. I'm Lena Luthor. I'm the CEO of L Corp and Public Enemy Number One when anything goes wrong."

"Well, I might be able to help with that," Kara replied, refusing to let go of Lena's hand. "I do a lot of human-interest pieces for CatCo's magazine and website. Maybe I can help do some damage control. I have a good feeling about you, Miss Luthor. Just like I did the first time we met."

Lena gave her a watery smile. "Did you?"

"Yes. It's never gone away." Kara squeezed her hand gently. "Even when you were going to use Myriad, I knew in my heart that your intentions were good."

"I just wanted to stop hurting," Lena whispered. "Stop everyone from hurting."

"If we don't hurt sometimes, how do we know happiness?" Kara whispered back.

Lena gasped as Kara lifted her hand up and kissed the knuckles. "Kara..."

"I want to build something new," Kara said softly. "What I've always wanted to build with you."

Lena felt faint. "...what do you want, Kara?"

"I want to take you to dinner," Kara said. "I want to go on a date with you, Lena."

Lena bit her lip. "...really?"

Kara caught her gaze again. "Look at me and see if I'm lying."

Lena squinted slightly. No, she couldn't see a lie. Just a hopeful, weary, sad soul behind soft blue eyes.

"I promised to never lie to you again. No more lies, no more secrets. So please, Lena. Let's go to dinner."

Lena nodded very slowly. "Now?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"My mom's house? My Earth mom's house."

Lena's expression twisted sardonically. "With your sister who hates me?"

"My sister doesn't hate you. She's been saying for the last few months that I needed to tell you."

Lena blinked, nonplussed. "Really?"

Kara nodded. "She had to have her memories of me as Supergirl locked away to prevent a breach of security awhile ago. And when I had to fight Red Daughter and almost died, the memories came flooding back. It was so traumatic that she decided I needed to tell you the truth, and kept saying so."

Lena had no response to this, so she just kept staring.

"I know, a first date at my childhood home isn't very romantic, but it's Christmas and I really want you to meet Eliza." Kara kissed her hand again, slowly.

Lena nodded. "I think I'd like that."

"And maybe we could walk on Swan Beach afterward?"

Lena tilted her head. "Where's that?"

"In Midvale. It's where the cool kids hang out." Kara gave the ghost of a smile. "So naturally, I never did. But I want to walk there. With you."

Lena nodded. "I'd like that."

"Is it okay if I fly us?" Kara asked. "Dinner will be cold by the time we drive up there."

Lena scoffed. "You certainly are throwing a -lot- of things at me this Christmas, Kara Danvers."

Kara blushed. "Sorry. I know you hate flying. I just thought that it would get us there fast and I'm very safe, I've never dropped anyone yet!"

Lena's eyebrow shot up again. "Cat Grant?"

"That was intentional!" Kara exclaimed. "And I'd been infected with red kryptonite! So it wasn't really me! I don't have any red k now, so it's not the same at all!"

"Kara, Kara, take a breath," Lena chuckled. "Won't it be cold for me if we fly?"

"Not if you bundle up," Kara said. "And it's kind of snowing in Midvale right now anyway."

"Kind of?" Lena quirked her brow again. She was enjoying the fact, as always, that her eyebrows seemed to fluster Kara. But now she knew how Kara truly felt, it made sense.

"Well, it was when I left," Kara replied.

"I do miss snow at Christmas," Lena said, reflectively.

"Then let me take you to the snow," Kara said, taking Lena's other hand in hers. "Please?"

Lena just gazed into Kara's eyes. She saw the love she'd always known was there, combined with anxiety and sadness that was surely from their recent fighting. She smiled softly, to see if that would ease the negative emotions any.

Kara grinned back, and the sadness was pushed to the back and down. "I love you, Lena."

"I love you too, Kara."

Warmly bundled up in outerwear she hadn't worn since she moved from Metropolis and wearing her father's watch, Lena hugged her new book again after Kara scooped her up.

"I bet you and Eliza will have tons to talk about," Kara said happily as she cuddled Lena close.

"I'm excited to find out," Lena replied as she laid her head on Kara's shoulder, warm fuzziness spreading throughout her entire being.

//A very Merry Christmas  
And a happy new year  
Let's hope it's a good one  
Without any fear//

"Wow," Alex said as Kara walked in with Lena, an arm slung around her shoulders. "Congrats, sis."

Kara grinned. "Thanks, sis."

Eliza smiled at Lena, who'd shed her outerwear but was still holding the book. "Looks like I chose your gifts well."

Lena smiled back. "I've always wanted this book, but never got around to finding it."

"Then you'll have to read it before we can discuss it," Eliza said, winking.

Lena found herself relaxing. "I know a lot of what's in it, but I'm excited to read the actual words of the masters."

"How about dinner first?" Kara interrupted. "I'm starving."

They all laughed, and Kara escorted Lena to an empty chair while Eliza went into the kitchen.

"Welcome to the family, little Luthor," Alex said quietly as she leaned towards Lena. "Glad you're really with us."

Lena looked at her hands and smiled. "Me too."

//War is over, if you want it  
War is over now//


End file.
